Alice and Leo have high hopes moving into their new home in The Circle, a small, tight-knit gated community of beautiful homes and friendly neighbors. Soon after moving in, Alice starts to realize that the odd stares and hidden whispers of the neighbors aren’t just about the new couple moving in. In fact, there are hidden secrets about the too good to be true home, and everyone else seems to know more than they are letting on. Alice dives head first into finding out more about what happened in the house before they moved in, and sometimes when people go digging for answers, what they find is not what they expect.

I have become quite the fan of B. A. Paris. She does a great job grabbing readers attention early on, having a slow build throughout the middle, and ending with a quickened, twisty pace. I especially enjoyed the alternative perspective chapters which are spread throughout the novel and add a different insight into the storyline.

While I enjoyed the story, I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Alice. I found her to be a bit naive and I couldn’t help but get frustrated with her decisions and risky behaviors. I think I felt a bit of pity for her also, throwing herself into trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Nina, almost as a way to avenge the death of her sister. The issues she encounters with her husband, Leo, left me with this sense of loneliness for her.

I love when I get the opportunity to both listen and read a book simultaneously. I thought the narration was fabulous in this audiobook, which made for very seamless listening. I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy for my honest review! Thank you to NetGalley, B. A. Paris, and St. Martin’s Press!

This book is 3.5 Stars

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
I have read a few of B.A. Paris’ books in the past and I keep trying to find one I totally fall in love with. Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.

💜 What I liked:
I really wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery and see who did kill Nin and what this neighborhood was covering up. There are a few twists at the end that are pretty jaw dropping.

😱 What I didn’t like:
I am not sure this author is for me. The middle lagged a bit as it seemed there wasn’t a lot to explore or go. The main character is not as complex or nuanced as other characters I have read who have PTSD/survivors complex issues. Also one of the bits of info was dropped and glossed over then this could have been alluded to more in the book.

💁‍♀️ The Characters:
Emily and Leo move to a new house in The Circle and meet new people including Eve and Will, Tamsin and Connor, and Maria.

🚦 My face at the end: 😳

💭 3 Reasons to Read:
Super speedy read
Jaw dropping twists at the end
Creepy “alone in the house” vibes


🕧 Mini-Summary:
Emily moves to a new house, but she doesn’t know that Nina has died there a few years ago.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

I’ve not read B.A. Paris before and therefore was excited to pick up The Therapist when it was a read now on Netgalley. I was also was able to listen to an ALC. For me, the story started out strong but over the course of it I became frustrated with the lead character and the decisions she was making.

I wanted suspense and there were definite elements of it but the ending wasn’t surprising and the relationships within the book felt flat. I guess, overall, I was expecting more and ended up reading a story that felt similar to others I’ve read before. We were just not a fit.

A super quick read - I fell into this one and didn't come up for air until I finished!
It's always interesting to move into a new neighborhood with the one you love. This time, however, it goes downhill quickly!
Great character development, super twisty plot and satisfying ending. Great summer read - thankful for the ARC

Alice and Leo have just moved to a beautiful home in a gated community known as The Circle. While getting to know her new neighbors, Alice discovers their new home has a horrifying past, and begins to become a bit obsessed with the home's previous owner, Nina. As Alice tries to find out what happened in their home, her neighbors are somewhat less than forthcoming. It feels like someone is hiding something, but who? And what?

I tore through this book as the story remained fast-paced and mysterious enough to keep me on my toes. I did not see the end coming whatsoever. I found Alice to be somewhat unlikeable, so some parts of the story became a little grating as she is the main narrator. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of B.A. Paris's other works.

(FWIW: I think this was a fantastic bounceback from The Dilemma, which I did not enjoy nearly as much as her other books)

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and B.A. Paris for “granting my wish” to review a digital ARC of The Therapist in exchange for my honest review!

B.A. Paris is so consistent with her writing - I always know it's going to pull me in, get my heart racing, and keep me flipping though pages as fast as I can. The Therapist is no different. And I'd like to add that Paris is a queen of plot twists.

Alice and Leo have just moved in together. This is a big step, not only in their relationship, but also for Alice whose stepping out of her small town and into London. The Circle seems like the perfect community. A built-in network of friends and dinner guests, it's a safe neighborhood and a gated community. All the perks of being close to the city, but without the crime.

All is going well and Alice is trying to get to know her neighbors when the rug is pulled out from under her. She finds out that the reason her new home was available (and for such a good price) is because a murder took place inside. More horrifying it took place in the very bedroom she's supposed to sleep in. Now she has to try to come to terms with this and figure out if she can go on living there. But that isn't all, of course, it seems like everyone around her is lying, her neighbors, even her boyfriend Leo and she isn't sure who to trust or believe.

Alice starts to suspect that things weren't as simple about the murder as everyone else seems to act. In fact, Alice starts to wonder if the killer is still out there.

There are such intricate details at play in this book for basically every character. I was continually surprised by various twists and really enjoyed the ride. Paris is able to weave in the smallest details that come back to play later in the novel. It feels like you're constantly putting pieces of a puzzle together.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a gifted copy of The Therapist by B.A. Paris. All opinions are my own.

Alice is excited to be moving to London with her boyfriend, Leo, until secrets begin to emerge. Everyone seems to have secrets. Who can she trust? Can she trust Leo? Can she trust her new neighbors?

The story is told from the perspective of Alice. The quick pace in the beginning held my attention and then it surprised me with the spooky and eery as the story progressed. It kept me guessing who and why. B.A. Paris is one of my favorite modern authors and this one did not disappoint.

General Fiction (Adult)
Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: July 13, 2021

This story is about a couple, Alice and Leo, who have recently decided to purchase a home and move into together. Their relationship seems strong and they look toward their new life together. Unfortunately their new home has a secret, as do the neighbors in this tightly knit community. Alice becomes obsessed getting to the bottom of the secret and risks losing everything trying to uncover the truth.

This was a fast paced thriller that is very typical of Paris' style. Almost everyone in the book is a suspect at one time or another. Alice was a frustrating character, she continued to put herself in danger and made many poor choices. The supporting cast of characters were also very bland to me. The ending was a little over the top and unrealistic, but enjoyable all the same.



Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #Netgalley #TheTherapist

Great book with a huge surprise ending. Totally did not see it coming at all. Great story with well done characters. The setting and supporting characters are done extremely well also.

I really tend to love domestic thrillers and this one was quite the page turner!

I was hooked pretty quickly and I throughly enjoyed the alternating perspectives between the protagonist and the snippets from the therapist.

I truly relish in a good suburban plot that’s oozing with dark and juicy secrets as its such a guilty pleasure type of read for me!

While I didn’t quite love Alice as a character, I still really appreciated how everything played out!

All in all, this was a captivating suburban paranoia read where Paris did an excellent job seemingly implicating everyone and truly leaving us guessing until the very end!

I’m excited to continue reading more from her!

I was torn on the rating for this one. On the one hand, I flew through it, couldn't put it down. The twist did surprise me. On the other hand, this story both felt overly simple and overly complicated. It's hard not to compare every Paris book to Behind Closed Doors, but that book was so messed up that everything I've read by her since seems tame in comparison. There were a lot of red herrings in this that ended up feeling like loose ends which was frustrating. Overall, I did enjoy this as a fast=paced thriller.

I love B. A. Paris and have read all of their books and I was so excited to read the Therapist. This is a domestic thriller that I think is going to appeal to a lot of readers. The ending was great and I loved the twists. There are a lot of characters and it was a bit difficult keeping everyone straight. The pacing was a little slower that I prefer for a thriller, but the ending was definitely a hallmark of a great thriller.

I ended up receiving an advanced copy of the audiobook for this novel. I absolutely LOVED this novel! It was a true thriller and kept me guessing "who dun it" until the very end. I enjoyed the different points of view in this book and thought that the story was well crafted! Looking forward to more B.A. Paris books :)

Wow, out of all of B.A. Paris’ books, I think this one might just be my favorite. But then again, I think I say that every time she comes out with a new one. She just really knows how to write psychological suspense that grabs your attention. This story, The Therapist, was filled with so many secrets. Everyone involved seemed to have secrets but I think that’s what the author wanted us to think. Alice and Leo had just moved into a home in a gated community where even the house held secrets. A murder had taken place there and Leo had kept that from Alice. After finding out, she became obsessed with who had done it to the point of not trusting anyone. She just had to know who had killed Nina, the therapist. She didn’t believe that Oliver, Nina’s loving husband could of been the one. Because of so many secrets and lies, I never seen the twist coming that exposed who the real murderer was. Believe me, I was surprised. I love reading books that keep me guessing and this one did just that. If you enjoy reading psychological suspense then I recommend you read this. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy it as much as I did. You might even feel like you need a therapist when you’re done! I’d like to thank Marissa Sangiacomo, Assistant Director of Marketing at St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the invitation and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. I am giving this a 4 star rating!

WOW! This was an amazing suspense thriller that I could not put down! I had to read it all in one day! I was so sure I had it figured out, only to change my mind several times and I was still wrong in the end! Loved the characters, loved the plot, loved everything about it! Bravo B.A. Paris!

Alice has a new home, a new neighbourhood, and the man of her dreams. Why does she feel like something is very, very wrong?

Alice is devastated to learn the horrifying, recent history of her new home. Her first instinct is to leave, but as she begins to feel a strange connection with the previous owner, she decides to stay for at least a little while. Alice becomes obsessed with Nina, the woman who owned the house before, and is constantly asking her new neighbours about her. Alice becomes increasingly paranoid as things go missing or are moved, gifts from her boyfriend show up that he doesn't remember leaving there, and she keeps waking up in the middle of the night, feeling as though someone is watching her sleep. With tensions running high and questions piling up, will Alice find out what really happened in her home two years ago? Or will she become a part of history, herself?
Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris is my favourite book, so I was very excited to read The Therapist! It took me a few chapters to get into this novel, as the beginning was focused on a lot of background information, but once the thrills began, I was hooked! I was suspicious of so many characters throughout the book, as everyone in the tight-knit neighbourhood holds secrets. There were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I loved that! I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good "whodunit" thriller.

I love reading books that take place in quaint little towns outside of London. It's always interesting to me to imagine what it must be like to live there and The Circle is quite interesting. I've read a couple books by B. A. Paris before and always enjoy them. Alice and Leo move in together to this small community of twelve homes and as Alice is desperate to fit in and make friends, she begins to learn about the secrets of the home she's living in as well as her neighbors around her. I definitely felt the suspense in this book-the creepy feelings Alice would have that someone was watching her while she slept, things being moved around her home, mystery visitors. At times I would get annoyed with Alice because instead of just leaving she is determined to find out the truth despite putting herself in danger. I found it to be a page turner and it's one of those books that keeps you guessing until the very end. Keep going through any of the lulls you feel while reading because it does have a slight ebb and flow, however it's worth it in the end to finish it out! For lovers of mystery and suspense, you will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review as well as an audio copy to listen to and review.

This is the third book by B. A. Paris that I have read and try as I might, I just don't like this author. The book was a thriller and pretty fast paced. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that I don't like, but it is just not for me. I will say that this book is better than Behind Closed Doors so if you liked that one, you will definitely like this one.

I did not read The Therapist through an educator lens.

The Therapist, by B.A. Paris was a great read. The twist at the end with the therapist was not one that I had necessarily seen coming. I did appreciate that the main character left Leo in the end and moved back to her own space instead of going back to him to make things work. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy mysteries/thrillers because Paris is one of the best authors in this genre.

The Therapist by B. A. Paris is a great read. The main characters, Alice and Leo, are flawed people trying to cohabitate. I think that Alice was not very likeable. She repeated the same couple of thoughts over and over. The plot was interesting and made up for the unlikable character. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****